1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to data management and in particular to a project data management system and method.
2. Description of Related Art
When an organization implements a policy, a process or a system, the organization often needs to verify implementation of the policy, demonstrate implementation of the process, or validate usage of the system. However, there are currently various problems with providing the evidence necessary to verify such implementation. One existing problem is that the necessary evidence may be widely dispersed throughout the organization and difficult to locate. Furthermore, if located, the necessary evidence may not be inventoried or stored in an accessible manner. For example, a risk management group in an organization may need to verify implementation of a corporate control policy but are unable to locate and organize fact-based evidence of implementation. As another example, an accounting group may need to attest to regulatory compliance but do not have the necessary documentation of implementation of procedures. As yet another example, an information technology group may need to demonstrate security testing status of a worldwide set of systems without a fully documented inventory.
Another problem in verifying implementation of a policy, a process or a system is that the management of an organization may have little knowledge of the relative completeness or strength of the evidence underlying the verification. For example, the management may unknowingly attest to claims of compliance for a policy with unsubstantiated evidence, such as verbal assurance, rather than any fact-based documented evidence. In addition, a claim by management of global compliance with a corporate control may unknowingly be based on documented evidence only provided by some but not all business units.
Another problem is that approval methods for a policy, a process or a system often lack definitive personnel accountability, clear and repeatable methodology, and documented tracking of activities and changes. Across an organization, there may be various policy, process and system implementation and approval processes where: the personnel accountabilities are unclear, unconfirmed and undocumented; methodologies are fluid and informal; and the activities and revisions are undocumented and untracked. This type of disorganization results in extra time, inconsistent processes and arbitrary basis for approvals.
As such, a need exists for a system and methodology for managing, tracking, rating and approving implementation evidence of a policy, a process or a system.